An economic development group is interested in making Trail a hub for battery recycling, particularly of electric vehicle batteries.
Lower Columbia Initiatives Corportion director Jacomien van Tonder told city council they are working on a feasibility study with the Battery Metals Association of Canada.
“We would like to set up Trail as a battery hub for Western Canada,” she said. “We already have several of the components of a battery hub. By doing this study we can see what we still need to realize that dream. It will definitely bring lots of dollars and jobs to the area.”
Van Tonder said the industry association feels there should be two hubs, one in the east, and one in the west, and “I just thought it’s got to be Trail if it’s in the west.”
She said they are looking at hiring a contractor to carry out the study.
Greater Trail is already home to KC Recycling and Retriev Technologies, both of whom handle batteries. Van Tonder said the study would examine “what they need and how we can help them expand their capacity.”
She predicted the market for recycling electric vehicle batteries will be “huge” and expects there could be room in the market for another company as well.
“The capacity for recycling of EV batteries is going to be so big in the next five to 10 years that there will definitely be room for another company to do it here as well,” she said. “And it won’t even be competition for Retriev. There will just be too much to do.”